Manufacture of open-toe shoes



Jan. 27, 1948.

H. E. OSBORNE MANUFACTURE OF OPEN TOE SHOES Filed May 30, 1945 Inven M r Harry 5 0323mm? 5 his I omensrATE-s a isaosi eme F QITEN-TOE $1 91 5 Harry E. satin; "smui gton, Ira, assignor' t f Y I United'Shjoe MachineryCorporation, Fleming-q r ton, N. J., a corporation 'ofNew Jersey AppIicationMayGO,1945,"SerialNo;596,623

"yeasts. (o1."1.2l,-142). J I

This invention relates tothe manufactureof shoes in which the design of the upper calls for the formation of an opening in its bottom marg n,

usually at its toe end, and is herein-illustratedin its application to the manufacture of ShOESriD. which such uppers are-providedwith sole attaching extensions. I

In the manufacture of shoes in which the upper is provided with a'sole attachingextension itis sion is constructed and arranged toextend across said opening without interruption inorder to provide a bottom margin of a substantially uniform thickness. r 1 j j It is a further object of the invention to facilitate the manufacture of shoes of this type; by methods involving the insertion of the last after the upper has been secured to a sole, by preshaping the upper before attaching it to the sole.

With the above objects in view the invention in one aspect thereof consists in forming an upper with an opening in its bottom margin, said opening being ofmaximumwidth atitheedge of the upper, contracting said marginal opening to shape the upper, said opening after its contraction stillbeing of substantial width at theedge of the upper, applying a tape to the bottom margin of the upper to connect portions of the upper at opposite sides of said opening, and completing the shoe in any known manner, The tape thus provided serves to hold the shape thus imparted to the upper by retaining the contraction of its marginal opening. In the application of the invention to the manufacture of prewelt shoes said tape also provides a connecting element to which there is stitched that portion of the welt extending across the marginal opening of the upper.

After a sole has been secured to the welt it is desirable that the portion of the tape visible through the marginal opening in the upper be suitably disposed of. In accordance with the present invention this is accomplished by eliminating or cutting out the visible portion of the tape or by turning said visible portion inwardly and arranging a slip sole to cover said inturned portion.

The invention will now be described with ref-- erence to the accompanying" drawings,-,illustrating-its application toprewelt shoejmanufacture,

and will bepointedyoutin the appendedclaims. In the drawings, .1 r. Fig. ;1 is-a plan view ofaanupper constructed in accordance withmy preferred method;

Fig.- 2 is a perspective view showing the uppe of Fig,=1 provided withanoutsole attachin -welt;

Fig. 3 is a section on the-line III- 1110f Fi 1-;

and 1' .t v i Fig.4 I is a. central longitudinal section through the; toe portion-of a completedprewelt shoe, the toe endgportions of the filler and the sock lining being broken away to -reveal the structure of; the

where theoppositezside edgesof-theopening-meet the edge of theupper. ,In-the manufacture of the illustrated shoe those-portions ofthe margin of the upper at opposite sides of the opening") ere drawn toward 1 each other "thereby contracting said opening and imparting a convex shape -to the toe portion oftheupper as-shown in- Fig. 3. order toretain the shape; thus imparted to the upper a strip l2 of fabric QrQther-SuitabIe-material coated on .one side with adhesive is arranged as shown injig. 11 ,with its opposite end portions adhesively attached to the bottom margin of the upper at opposite sides of the opening [0 and its edge [4 in alinement with the bottom edge l6 of the upper. That portion of the strip l2 lying between the opposite side edges of the opening I0 performs the function of a lasting margin at the toe end of the upper.

In the illustrated shoe a sole attaching welt I8 (Fig. 2) extends about the entire periphery of the shoe bottom bridging the opening III at the toe end of the upper and is secured to the strip l2 by stitches 20. The presence of the strip I2 at the toe end of the upper enables the sewing machine operator to proceed With the stitching operation without regard to the opening III in the toe portion of the upper, handling the upper in the same manner as he would an upper of the usual closed toe type. As usual in the manufacture of prewelt shoes, the sewing machine operator commences the Welt attaching operation at one side of the upper and proceeds toward the toe end of the upper, stitching the inner margin of the welt to the bottom margin of the upper. When the point of operation has advanced to the edge of the opening I U the operator will glance at the strip I2 to make certain that it has not been misplaced but is in position to receive the stitches 20 as the point Of operation advances across the Opening 0. Ordi ar l this will t i ive e an interruption in the stitching operation but on the contrary the stitchingwill proceed with the same speed and facility as though the upper were Qf the usual closed toe type.

The upper is now lasted and anull-l ple' 'zt (Fig.

4) is secured to the welt by stitches 24. At this stage in the manufacture biz shoe-that per- 1 tion of the strip 12 which is visibiethroueh'ihe opening 10 should b eliminated or concealed. I

prefer to cut out the visiblevportion of .the'i-strip along a line contiguous to the seam Zilbut if desired the visible portion of the stripmaybe folded in and covered by the toe portion of the slip sole or sock lining 6.

--While "my' invention is -herein illustrated in its application to .theinanufa'ctureof prewelt shoes it is to be understood that theinvention in' cerent of the United States bottom margin, said opening being of maximum width at the edge of the upper, contracting said marginal opening to shape the upper, said opening after its contraction still being of maximum width at the edge of the upper, applying a tape to the bottom margin of the upper to retain the shape imparted thereto by contracting said openine sai a e co n ctin marginal p tio s of th ppcr e hpo si es fi saidppcning, p riding a sole attaching Welt for said upper, stitching said welt to the bottom margin of the upper and to said tape, securing a sole to said welt, removing the visible portion of said tape, and comp ting h h 7 4 That method of making shoes which comprises forming an-upper with a generally semicircular opening in its bottom margin, contracting said marginal-opening to shape the upper, said opening after its contraction still being of maximum width at the edge of the upper, applying a *tain aspects is applicable to'the manufacture of 3'0 and arranging a slip sole 1. That method of making shoes which comprises torniing an upper withan opening in its bottom margin, said opening being of maximum width 'at'the edge of the upper, contracting said marginal opening to shape' the upper, said opening after its contraction' 'still' being of substantial width at the 'edge'of the upper, applying atape to the bottom margin of; the upper to connect portions of said upperat opposite sides of said opening, a d rl ina' he sho -r a t e f c ak g, sh s. whic emprises forming an upper'with opening in its t m nd e inebe rs at max mum width atthe edge of the upper,1 contracting "said ar e ne' sh r ihQiflRPQ bu w thqu closing a o i t e ease "Qf, the upp r. applying ic' h bqt c nimareia qf' he' p per to retain the shape imparted thereto, said a c ne ng m r i al c mers. at. o os e sides of saidopening, providing a, sole attaching l c sai p e tlst ehinc saidwe t to th mar Qf he up a d to sa d. a e, and completing-theshog V V T hod f making e s w i h comprises iermie' a cncrw th n openi g; n t

55 2364365 mtt;

tape to the bottom margin of the upper to retain the shape imparte'd theretoby'contracting said marginal opening, said tape connecting marginal portions 'o' f'the upper at Opposite sides of said opening, providing; a sole attaching welt for the upper stitchingsaiq welt to the bottom margin of the upper andto said tapgsecuring a sole to said welt, turning inwardly that portion of said strip'visiblethrough said marginal opening, to cover said inturned portion.

5. 'That method of'making shoes, which compris'es'forming an'upp'er witha'marginal opening therein, contracting said marginal opening to shape the upper, retaining theshape thus imparted to the upper by securing a tape to the inner surface 'of the upper, said tape being arranged to connect'm'arginal portions of the upper at opposite sides of said opening, providing a sole attaching weltfor said'upper, stitching said welt to thebott'om margin of the upper and to said tape, stitching "saidwe'lt to a sole, eliminating that portion of said tape visible through the marginal {openingin; the upper, and completing thesl'ioe. Y

I fHhRRYE JOSBORNE.

REFERENGES clamp The followin rcierences are, of, record in the gunman STAT S- ems Number Y Name Date 265,433- Clark Oct/3, 1882 as, ly 4,. 939

e f thi patent: 

